Congratulations to 2014 Olympic snowboard champion Vic Wild

Vladimir Putin sent a message to Vic Wild congratulating him on his gold medal in the snowboard parallel special slalom event at the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

The message reads, in part:

“You have withstood a fierce struggle with honour, defeating strong competitors and adding yet another gold Olympic medal to your personal collection. Most importantly, your victory proves that in sports luck picks out only the most talented, persevering and strong-willed.”